| Lycoperdon | |
|---|---|
| Lycoperdon pyriforme | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Agaricaceae |
| Genus: | Lycoperdon |
| Type species | |
| Lycoperdon perlatum Pers. |
|
Lycoperdon is a genus of puffball mushrooms. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains about 50 species.[1] In general, it contains the smaller species such as the pear shaped puffball and the gem studded puffball. Most of the time they grow from dead wood and if they grow through the ground they usually indicate that wood is buried. It was formerly classified within the now-obsolete order Lycoperdales, as the type genus which, following a restructuring of fungal taxonomy brought about by molecular phylogeny, has been split. Lycoperdon is now placed in the family Agaricaceae of the order Agaricales.
The name comes from lycos meaning wolf and perdon meaning to break wind; thus the name literally means wolf-farts.